Award-winning author John Ferling is a leading authority on the American Revolution. His entertaining and enlightening histories have greatly improved our understanding of early America and the Founding Fathers. Now Ferling opens a window to the past and explores the contentious presidential election of 1800.

Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation

The decade of the 1790s has been called the age of passion. Fervor ran high as rival factions battled over the course of the new republic - each side convinced that the others' goals would betray the legacy of the Revolution so recently fought and so dearly won. All understood as well that what was at stake was not a moment's political advantage, but the future course of the American experiment in democracy. In this epochal debate, no two figures loomed larger than Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic

It was an age of fascinating leaders and difficult choices, of grand ideas eloquently expressed and of epic conflicts bitterly fought. Now comes a brilliant portrait of the American Revolution, one that is compelling in its prose, fascinating in its details, and provocative in its fresh interpretations.

The Birth of Modern Politics: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828

The 1828 presidential election, which pitted Major General Andrew Jackson against incumbent John Quincy Adams, has long been hailed as a watershed moment in American political history. It was the contest in which an unlettered, hot-tempered southwestern frontiersman, trumpeted by his supporters as a genuine man of the people, soundly defeated a New England "aristocrat" whose education and political resume were as impressive as any ever seen in American public life.

James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights

Richard Labunski offers a dramatic account of a time when the entire American experiment hung in the balance, only to be saved by the most unlikely of heroes, the diminutive and exceedingly shy James Madison. Here is a vividly written account of not one, but several major political struggles that changed the course of American history.

The American Revolution of 1800: How Jefferson Rescued Democracy from Tyranny and Faction - and What This Means Today

In this brilliant historical classic, Dan Sisson argues that Thomas Jefferson thought democratic revolutions would be necessary from time to time to break the grip of autocratic factions on the government. That is how Jefferson saw the election of 1800 - and the lessons for today couldn’t be more obvious. Most historians celebrate Jefferson’s victory over Adams in 1800 as the beginning of the two-party system, but Jefferson would have been horrified by this interpretation.

The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon

Even compared to his fellow founders, George Washington stands tall. Our first president has long been considered a stoic hero, holding himself above the rough-and-tumble politics of his day. Now John Ferling peers behind that image, carefully burnished by Washington himself, to show us a leader who was not only not above politics but a canny infighter---a master of persuasion, manipulation, and deniability.

Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election that Saved a Nation

In 1789, James Madison and James Monroe ran against each other for Congress-the only time that two future presidents have contested a congressional seat. But what was at stake, as author Chris DeRose reveals in Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election That Saved a Nation, was more than personal ambition. This was a race that determined the future of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the very definition of the United States of America.

Garshom L. Arkoff says:"A Must for Anyone Interested in the Constitution"

Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of America's Founding Document

Senator Mike Lee tells the dramatic, little-known stories behind six of the Constitution's most indispensable provisions. He shows their rise. He shows their fall. And he makes vividly clear how nearly every abuse of federal power today is rooted in neglect of this Lost Constitution.

American Insurgents, American Patriots: The Revolution of the People

Before there could be a revolution, there was a rebellion; before patriots, there were insurgents. Challenging and displacing decades of received wisdom, T. H. Breen's strikingly original book explains how ordinary Americans---most of them members of farm families living in small communities---were drawn into a successful insurgency against imperial authority.

Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence

In this gripping chronicle of America's struggle for independence, award-winning historian John Ferling transports listeners to the grim realities of that war, capturing an eight-year conflict filled with heroism, suffering, cowardice, betrayal, and fierce dedication. As Ferling demonstrates, it was a war that America came much closer to losing than is now usually remembered. General George Washington put it best when he said that the American victory was "little short of a standing miracle."

John Quincy Adams: American Visionary

In this fresh and lively biography rich in literary analysis and new historical detail, Fred Kaplan brings into focus the dramatic life of John Quincy Adams - the little known and much misunderstood sixth president of the United States and the first son of John and Abigail Adams - and persuasively demonstrates how Adams's inspiring, progressive vision guided his life and helped shape the course of America.

A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent

When James K. Polk was elected president in 1844, the United States was locked in a bitter diplomatic struggle with Britain over the rich lands of the Oregon Territory, which included what is now Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Texas, not yet part of the Union, was threatened by a more powerful Mexico. And the territories north and west of Texas---what would become California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and part of Colorado---belonged to Mexico.

The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789

From Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian Joseph J. Ellis, the unexpected story of why the 13 colonies, having just fought off the imposition of a distant centralized governing power, would decide to subordinate themselves anew.

Our One Common Country: Abraham Lincoln and the Hampton Roads Peace Conference of 1865

Our One Common Country explores the most critical meeting of the Civil War. Given short shrift or overlooked by many historians, the Hampton Roads Conference of 1865 was a crucial turning point in the War between the States. In this well written and highly documented book, James B. Conroy describes in fascinating detail what happened when leaders from both sides came together to try to end the hostilities. The meeting was meant to end the fighting on peaceful terms.

Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America

In this remarkable book, historian Jack Rakove shows how the private lives of these men were suddenly transformed into public careers - how Washington became a strategist, Franklin a pioneering cultural diplomat, Madison a sophisticated constitutional thinker, and Hamilton a brilliant policymaker. Rakove shakes off accepted notions of these men as godlike visionaries, focusing instead on the evolution of their ideas and the crystallizing of their purpose.

Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America

Short, plain, balding, neither soldier nor orator, low on charisma and high on intelligence, Madison cared more about achieving results than taking the credit. To reach his lifelong goal of a self-governing constitutional republic, he blended his talents with those of key partners. It was Madison who led the drive for the Constitutional Convention and pressed for an effective new government as his patron George Washington lent the effort legitimacy.

First Family: Abigail & John Adams

John and Abigail Adams left an indelible and remarkably preserved portrait of their lives together in their personal correspondence: both Adamses were prolific letter writers (although John conceded that Abigail was clearly the more gifted of the two). Joseph J. Ellis distills this unprecedented and unsurpassed record to give us an account both intimate and panoramic; part biography, part political history, and part love story.

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power.

American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America

A spellbinding storyteller, historian David O. Stewart traces the canny and charismatic Aaron Burr from the threshold of the presidency in 1800 to his duel with Alexander Hamilton. Stewart recounts Burr’s efforts to carve out an empire, taking listeners across the American West as the renegade vice president schemes with foreign ambassadors, the U.S. general-in-chief, and future presidents.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson designed his own tombstone, describing himself simply as "Author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia". It is in this simple epitaph that R. B. Bernstein finds the key to this enigmatic Founder - not as a great political figure, but as leader of "a revolution of ideas that would make the world over again". In Thomas Jefferson, Bernstein offers the definitive short biography of this revered American - the first concise life in six decades. Bernstein deftly synthesizes the massive scholarship on his subject into a swift, insightful, evenhanded account.

The Radicalism of the American Revolution

Grand in scope, rigorous in its arguments, and elegantly synthesizing 30 years of scholarship, Gordon S. Wood's Pulitzer Prize–winning book analyzes the social, political, and economic consequences of 1776. In The Radicalism of the American Revolution, Wood depicts not just a break with England, but the rejection of an entire way of life: of a society with feudal dependencies, a politics of patronage, and a world view in which people were divided between the nobility and "the Herd."

The Great Divide: The Conflict Between Washington and Jefferson That Defined a Nation

History tends to cast the early years of America in a glow of camaraderie when there were, in fact, many conflicts between the Founding Fathers - none more important than the one between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Their disagreement centered on the highest, most original public office created by the Constitutional Convention: the presidency. It also involved the nation's foreign policy, the role of merchants and farmers in a republic, and the durability of the union.

Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788

When the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia adjourned late in the summer of 1787, the delegates returned to their states to report on the new Constitution, which had to be ratified by specially elected conventions in at least nine states. Pauline Maier recounts the dramatic events of the ensuing debate in homes, taverns, and convention halls, drawing generously on the speeches and letters of founding fathers, both familiar and forgotten, on all sides.

After Lincoln: How the North Won the Civil War and Lost the Peace

With Abraham Lincoln's assassination, his "team of rivals" was left adrift. President Andrew Johnson, a former slave owner from Tennessee, was challenged by Northern Congressmen, Radical Republicans led by Thaddeus Stephens and Charles Sumner, who wanted to punish the defeated South. When Johnson's policies placated the rebels at the expense of the freed black men, radicals in the House impeached him for trying to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

Publisher's Summary

Award-winning author John Ferling is a leading authority on the American Revolution. His entertaining and enlightening histories have greatly improved our understanding of early America and the Founding Fathers. Now Ferling opens a window to the past and explores the contentious presidential election of 1800.

Once close friends, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson became bitter rivals as they fought for control of the young government. In a no-holds-barred brawl, both camps used any and all methods to sway voters. There was mudslinging, name-calling, and backstabbing. After a stalemate in the Electoral College, balloting went on for days and nights. Friendships were crushed, promises were broken, civil war was threatened. In the end, a shady deal gave Jefferson the presidency, and America would never be the same.

Considering the turmoil of the modern era, Adams vs. Jefferson is a timely book through which we can better understand the antagonistic atmosphere of contemporary politics.

The “Pivotal Moments in American History” series seeks to unite the old and the new history, combining the insights and techniques of recent historiography with the power of traditional narrative. Each title has a strong narrative arc with drama, irony, suspense, and – most importantly – great characters who embody the human dimension of historical events. The general editors of “Pivotal Moments” are not just historians; they are popular writers themselves, and, in two cases, Pulitzer Prize winners: David Hackett Fischer, James M. McPherson, and David Greenberg. We hope you like your American History served up with verve, wit, and an eye for the telling detail!

Listen to John Ferling talk about this book on the October 3, 2004, edition of Booknotes.

What the Critics Say

"Ferling richly presents the twists and turns of the election, as well as a vivid portrait of a struggling new nation and the bruising political battles of our now revered founding fathers." (Publishers Weekly)

This work, purportedly about the election of 1800, actually spends less than 1/4 of its length on the election & the various machinations associated with same. That is a good thing. Rather, it reviews, superficially yet very powerfully, the forces that in the years after 1776 brought forth the Federalists, anti-Federalists & Jeffersonian Republicans, as well as the sideward glance at the first glimmerings of a "political machine" in the hands of Aaron Burr. It is this interpretation of the 2 decades running up to the election that makes the election crystal-clear. This book also has outstanding narration. Someone who speaks with emphasis & doesn't have to be suffered through. The only weakness of the book, frankly, is the short section that follows the events of the elections, which treads on very well worn ground (Burr's post 1800 shenanigans, Hamilton, Jefferson/Adams correspondence) & does not add anything substantial to the record here. A very small complaint. It still deserves 5 stars in by book.

Interesting and informative, but passed over Jefferson's faults too easily. Ferling concludes that the election of 1800 was about liberty (Jefferson and the Republicans) vs. oligarchy (Adams, Hamilton and the Federalists). This is a little simplistic in my view--there was certainly a more moderate strain of Federalism, represented by Adams, which was not the usurper of 1776 liberty represented by Jefferson. I think Ferling comes to a lazy black and white conclusion. But I enjoyed the book.

I was disappointed by this book's uneven treatment of the Federalist and the Republicans. After recently reading biographies of Washington, Adams and Hamilton, it was difficult to beleve that this book was referring to the same men or the same historical episodes. It was good to listen to Jefferson's and the other Republican's point of view, but I did get tired of hearing the same critisim of the Federalists over and over and over again. If you do listen to this book you should also listen to the recent biographies of Adams and Hamilton to obtain the alternative points of view.

This book is rather Pro-Jefferson but not real bad. At some points it is a little shaky on historical ground. If you are only going to read one book on this period this should not be that book but if you are going to read several make this one about the 5th or 6th.

This is the best treatment I have read of the differences that developed our country's first political parties and what the real issues were behind all of the rhetoric and name calling. It was difficult for me to understand Jefferson's position prior to this book. Now I know why he won the election and was elected for a second term so easily. It is an excellent book. Both presidents are treated fairly. I only wish the author had explored and written more about the correspondence of these two giants after their presidencies. Our nation is indebted to these two men and their unique contributions to our republic.

This is a very worthwhile book as it covers not just the election of 1800 but all that led up to it. The development of the two parties: Federalists and Republicans is covered at length as well as their disagreements throughout the 1790s (an era even more partisan than today!). I feel it was very even handed in its treatment of most of the characters involved with the possible exception of one of the most polarizing individuals: Alexander Hamilton. To remedy this I merely recommend reading/listening to Ron Chernow's biography Alexander Hamilton to get a more complete view of Hamilton and his thoughts and beliefs. I don't see this as, in any way, an intentional act by Mr. Ferling. Instead it was likely the result of the fact that a more nuanced explanation of Hamilton's motives and ideas fell outside the scope of this book.

The basic premise of the book was that the election of 1800 was a remarkable achievement in that it was the first time that the people of the United States was presented with a choice between 2 starkly different candidates with diametrically opposed visions of where the US should go in the next 4-8 years and chose to change from a Federalist system to a Republican system. While there was plenty of high emotion surrounding the election as well as ample political drama it accomplished the remarkable feat of a bloodless transfer of power from one distinct group to another.

This book really stood out in its description of how Jefferson was finally chosen not just over Adams but over Aaron Burr. Its description of the political maneuvering that took place in the House of Representatives was powerful and engaging. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Early Republic period and is worthy to sit on a "shelf" with Joseph Ellis, Ron Chernow, David Mccullough and others.

This was a fascinating presentation not only for showing that the Founding Fathers weren't a monolithic group, but also in how little our politics have changed. Issues such as Religion, civil liberties, war, and the role of the federal vs. the state government. Many of the same things we argue over today were being argued over at the time. Rather than 24-hour news channels, though, they had pamphlets and letters to do their work. Sometimes, they attacked more personally and with greater ferocity than we do today.

The book is a bit one-sided - leaning more towards Jefferson's side and against the "ultra-Federalists" (which sometimes sounds an awful lot like today's media saying "extreme right wing"). However, you will find yourself chuckling as you hear many of the same arguments that still come from politicians today. It really does make some of our modern arguments seem petty when you realize it's nothing especially new.

I love it, when in reading (ah, I mean, listening to) a book, where the author can make the story seem to just jump off the pages and come to life. That's especially true, when there is already so much in the way of documented writings, books and movies about the topic such as in the Presidential election of 1800 which pitted John Adams against Thomas Jefferson.

Today's politics are pretty tame compared to what used to go on back in the day. What with all of the name calling, cartoon depictions, and sometimes near fisticuffs or a dual in the streets. Yes, today's politics and politicians are downright boring compared to what the author, John Ferling, describes in this book.

I'm not a big history buff, or political junky, but Ferling's book kept my attention and helped me to learn a lot of things that I didn't know about in the early days of our great nation!

If you think that today's national political life is unusual for the USA, you never had a really good course in US history. John Ferling gives you that and so much more in this thorough and captivating book. The narrator takes no liberties, gives a straightforward reading, and makes listening a pleasure. This is a must-have.

The vitality of the two hundred year old political feuds in current history has impressed me in my reading (seven books on the 1790s now) it. Evidently its force is such that not only do we anticipate drama and bile from its scholars, we reviewers and I myself often begin to consider a book to our fellows in precisely the context of which of well known sides is it on.

But while, especially in the epilogue--isn't it wonderful when scholars show appreciable consideration in treating a sensitive area of history, only to gush all over the epilogue with how messianic one side was from the final tally?--Mr. Ferling may be described as "Jeffersonian," and other reviewers are correct that his tour drives past several popular attractions of villainy, I think the book very well satisfies its purpose of tracing the important election.

If Mr. Ferling is gentle and personally favors Jefferson, then it must be admitted sporting and professional that he is comparably gentle to the other contenders in the election. He gives the benefit of the doubt to Adams' and Burr's shenanigans as he does to Jefferson's and he says fair play to Hamilton (who, not being a candidate in 1800, does not need the same treatment as the others here, and whom ever Mr. Chernow does not say is at his best on the date in question) on several relevant occasions, including a review (presumably motivated by the trends of the recent history) of some of Hamilton's nationally formative contributions once Jefferson has ascended into the epilogue. The presentations in authorial style and reader performance did not impact my experience (good or ill).

I would recommend this book to someone who was only going to read one book to learn about the period. It draws gently positive but not totally indulgent composites of each of the major figures and at least familiarizes its attentive reader with the overview of their doings, personalities, significances (again, with respect to 1800 of course), and points of controversy. High drama, dirty pool, and epic villification certainly were and are integral aspect of the era of the subject, but Ferling admirably keeps his course to that subject though he traces several decades over all: that is, he keeps to matters relevant to the election of 1800 rather than the whole movement in political opera. On that note, it covered the election of 1800 rather well; I had very few notes of unanswered details.

If you have read some on the era, mostly this offers a review, perhaps good details on biographies whom you have not read yet, or perhaps a more nearly neutral, to any figure neither overly acidic nor apologist, consideration of the events. It does, of course, have fine details on how the electoral machine stalled and a professional assessment on what famous and little known events did or did not cause the outcome. Concluding, if you're bothering to read the reviews, I think you're interested enough and the history is well done enough that you wouldn't be disappointed.

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